1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to a heat sink coupling device, specifically a heat sink coupling device utilized to cool and reduce the temperature of a central processing unit in a computer, wherein a cooling fan preassembled to the heat sink dissipation element is installed with total convenience onto a heat dissipation element clip mount.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Computer products of various models and performance have been released on the market by a computer information industry now enjoying prolific development. Of these, the central processing unit (CPU) inside a computer occupies the most important position, with the Intel Pentium 4 chip currently the most widely used CPU. The internal circuit of the said chip is capable of processing speeds from 1 GHz up to 2.2 GHz and given such rapid operating frequencies, since heat is generated because of electrical resistance to flowing current when the CPU is utilized, a heat sink must be installed to maintain the operating temperature of the CPU within a certain range. To prevent damage to the internal circuit of the CPU by excessively high temperatures that renders the entire computer inoperable, the heat sink affixing method shown in FIG. 1 is utilized for the said CPU chip, wherein the said CPU 10 is contained in an opening 110 at the center of a heat dissipation element clip mount 11 and, furthermore, its lower extent is connected to a circuit board (not shown in the drawings), the pins extending outward along the bottom surface of the CPU 10 inserted into the circuit board and secured therein. The said heat dissipation element clip mount 11 has a rectilinear base plate 111 that is fastened to the circuit board, the opening 110 containing the CPU 10 respectively formed at the center of the base plate 11 heat dissipation element clip mount 111, a protruding stop 112 disposed at each of the four corners of the base plate 111 and, furthermore, an anchoring hole 113 formed at an appropriate location through each stop 112. A heat dissipation element 12 is installed at the upper extent of the CPU 10 that is contained in the center of the heat dissipation element clip mount 11, wherein since the junction surface between the heat dissipation element 12 and the CPU 10 is filled with heat conductive paste or fins such that no gaps are present along the junction surface, heat generated by the CPU 10 is transferred to the heat dissipation element 12. The said heat dissipation element 12 is typically constructed of aluminum or copper material having optimal heat transferring efficiency and, after the aluminum or copper material are melted into a liquid state within a furnace, it is molded and extruded into the heat dissipation element 12 shown in drawing; since the surface of the heat dissipation element 12 has a plurality of crenulations and ridges, the surface area of heat dissipation is increased and, furthermore, a cooling fan 13 screw fastened onto the upper extent of the said heat dissipation element 12 blows cold air to cool and reduce the temperature of the chip. Two guide slots 120 are formed into the upper end of the heat dissipation element 12 along the two sides of the cooling fan 13 to provide for nesting a latch 14 in each of the guide slots 120 and thereby affixing the heat dissipation element 12 of the cooling fan 13 onto the heat dissipation element clip mount 11, the structure of the conventional latch 14, as indicated in FIG. 2, is comprised of a retaining plate 140 having a retaining section 140a arcuately inset along its center, a latch arm 140b contoured at one extremity of the retaining plate 140, a curved hook 140c formed at the bottom end of the latch arm 140b, a clevis section 140d formed at the other extremity of the retaining plate 140; and a latch handle 141, the said clasp handle 141 having a press section 141a formed at its upper extremity, a hook 141c formed at the bottom extremity of the clasp handle 141, and a check tab 141b punched out into a free-floating state at the center of the clasp handle 141.
The clasp handle 141 of the said latch 14 is capable of being conjoined to the clevis section 140d of each retaining plate 140 to constitute a unitary structural entity, with the clasp handle 141 check tab 141b arrested at the bottom of the retaining plate 140 clevis section 140d entrance such that the clasp handle 141 conjoined onto the retaining plate 140 cannot be dislodged such that during utilization, the retaining plates 140 are thereby held in the guide slots 120 of the heat dissipation element 12, with the hooks 140c at the bottom extremities of the retaining plate 140 latch arms 140b as well as the hooks 141c at the bottom extremities of the clasp handles 141 respectively engaged in the anchoring holes 113 in the stops 112 at each of the four corners of the base plate 111, enabling the heat dissipation element 12 of the cooling fan 13 to be firmly affixed into the heat dissipation element clip mount 11.
Following numerous tests conducted by the applicant, the said latches 14 utilized to affix the heat dissipation element 12 to the heat dissipation element clip mount 11 were found to have several shortcomings worthy of improvement. For example, since the guide slots 120 of the heat dissipation element 12 in which the said latch 14 retaining plates 140 rest are fabricated by a mechanized cutting process, the heat dissipation element 12 must undergo many mechanical finishing procedures. To position the latch 14 retaining plates 140 in the heat dissipation element 12 guide slots 120, since the installer must not only visually ascertain whether the retaining plates 140 are correctly placed into guide slots 120 but thereafter also complete two attachment steps to engage the latches 14 into the anchoring holes 113 in the heat dissipation element clip mount 11 stops 112, this consumes considerable assembly time and, furthermore, the relatively narrow latch 14 retaining plates 140 causes the force affixing the heat dissipation element 12 to become linearly distributed and incapable of even application against every portion of the heat dissipation element 12, resulting in a less than optimal distribution of exerted force for the attachment of the heat dissipation element 12 to the heat dissipation element clip mount 11, especially as the contact surface area between the latch 14 retaining plates 140 and the clasp handles 141 are quite small and the stress at the four points of the retaining plate 140 clevis sections 140d and the clasp handle 141 check tabs 141b from the distribution of the applied force easily leads to the material fatigue and deterioration of the latch 14 components and results in the shortening of usable service life.
In view of the said conventional latches 14 that affix the heat dissipation element 12 onto the heat dissipation element clip mount 11, their relatively complicated installation process, and their greater labor cost of installation, the applicant conducted research into further improvement based on many years of engagement in the research and development of the relevant products which following continuous experimentation culminated in the successful development of the heat sink coupling device of the invention herein.
The primary objective of the invention herein is to provide a heat sink coupling device in which since the force exerted against a heat dissipation element on a heat dissipation element clip mount is of an evenly distributed state along the surface of the heat dissipation element, usable service life is not shortened due to component material fatigue because force is unequally applied during utilization.
Another objective of the invention herein is to provide a heat sink coupling device in which a selectable installation of a wide range of different specification cooling fans enables a cooling fan to be preassembled to the heat sink dissipation element and installed onto the heat dissipation element clip mount in a procedure that is conveniently flexible and adjustable.
To achieve the said objectives, the invention herein provides a heat sink coupling device consisting of a heat sink element coupling base having different specification screw holes at its four corners that provides for the installation of numerous cooling fans onto the coupling base, the said coupling base is of press formed one-piece construction with latch arms contoured such that they extend downward from two sides and, furthermore, each latch arm has a curved hook formed at the bottom end; the hooks of the latch arms at the four corners of the coupling base are engaged into anchoring holes in stops at the four corners of the heat dissipation element clip mount and the installer only has to complete a single attachment step to achieve the evenly distributed attachment force required to install the heat dissipation element into the heat dissipation element clip mount; the coupling base of the said heat sink coupling device has elastic elements at the two sides that are punched formed into a projecting, free-floating state and capable of exerting force against a heat dissipation element ensconced within the coupling base such that its lower extent is in firm contact on a CPU chip. To enable the easy removal of the heat dissipation element, a pull handle is disposed on a cross member connecting two latch arms at one side of the coupling base such that operating the pull handle spreads apart the said latch arms, resulting in the easy release of the hooks at the bottom ends of the latch arms from the anchoring holes of the heat dissipation element clip mount and, as such, installation personnel can remove the heat dissipation element from the coupling base for inspection or replacement in a procedure that is totally convenient.